If you are searching for the best restaurants in Nacogdoches, TX, then you are in the right place.
Nacogdoches is a major city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. Its population was about 32,147 after concluding the 2020 census. It is a financial, business, and entertainment center in east Texas.
The city’s name is similar to Louisiana’s city, Natchitoches. Nevertheless, Nacogdoches is a bigger sister city to Natchitoches.
There are quite a few fun places to visit at Nacogdoches. Some include Pecan Acres Park, Stone Fort Museum, Millard Crossing Historic Village, Nacogdoches Sterne-Hoya Museum, and Nacogdoches Famer’s Market.
Many residents and visitors love standing by the Lanana Creek Trail. These are some of Olean’s parks and historical spots. There are also wonderful hotels like Hampton Inn & Suites, The Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center, and more.
Are you planning a trip to Nacogdoches? Here are the top restaurants in Nacogdoches, TX.
Top Restaurants in Nacogdoches
1. Auntie Pasta’s Italian Kitchen
Are you an Italian food lover? If you’re in Nacogdoches, you must visit Auntie Pasta’s Italian Kitchen, the highest-rated Italian restaurant in town. Auntie Pasta is one of the best Nacogdoches restaurants.
An eclectic Italian eatery in a historic building offers build-your-own pasta meals and seasonal beers. The restaurant’s building used to be the site for trade and commerce in Texas. Back in the 1800s, it was a warehouse for goods brought into Texas via cargo trains.
The spacious eatery section serves chicken parmesan, chicken Capone, manicotti, penne, tiramisu, fried calamari, and more. One of their special treats on the menu is Uncle Vito’s Italian nachos. It is tasty, filling, and satisfying to almost all customers.
Address: 211 Old Tyler Rd, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-4878. Phone: +1 936-569-2171
2. Clear Springs Restaurant
Clear Springs is one of the top restaurants in Nacogdoches, Texas. It serves seafood dishes, steaks, and signature onion rings in a vibrant, barnlike setting. Both the exterior and interior décor gives off Texan vibes at Clear Springs.
This eatery was formerly the first refrigerated warehouse west of the Mississippi River. It was located close to Auntie Pasta Italian restaurant as part of a warehouse complex that receives food and supplies from the Texan people.
Texas Highways Magazine voted Clear Springs as providing the Best Fried Catfish in Texas. Looking at the menu, you’ll find foods like chicken fried steak, fried pickles, fried shrimp, fried catfish, grilled shrimp, and crab cakes.
They serve their World Famous Onion Rings, which are delicious and a must-try when you visit Clear Springs. Premium foods like sirloin are tasty and filling. They even pass food critics’ ratings. The restaurant also serves grilled chicken salad, fish tacos, and steamed broccoli. It opens by 11 am and closes by 9 pm daily except on Thursdays.
Address: 211 Old Tyler Rd, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-4878. Phone: +1 936-569-0489
3. Dolli’s Diner
Dolli’s Diner is one of the best restaurants in Nacogdoches, TX. It is one of the favorite restaurants in Nacogdoches County to come and eat any meal of the day, especially dinner. Dolli’s Diner offers dine-in and takeout, but there are no delivery services in place.
They serve classic American meals for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and supper. Meatloaf and spaghetti are good choices at the diner. It is delicious, and the quantity you receive is nearly equivalent to that of a large plate.
They serve a lot of soup varieties, and you can briefly view them on their menu on Facebook. Pancakes (blueberry), burgers, sandwiches, steaks, chicken, and salads are all included in the Windham Diner menu.
Dolli’s Diner opens early by 7 am and closes by 5 pm or 8 pm daily. The only day of the week exempted from the restaurant functioning is Sunday. The staff issue takeouts only between 7 am and 7.30 pm.
Address: 116 S Pecan St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-5506. Phone: +1 936-305-5007
4. Butcher Boys Smokehouse & Deli
Butcher Boy’s is an old-timey, wood-paneled market and smokehouse. It offers burgers, BBQ dishes, sandwiches, and chicken fried steak. It is a food establishment that has been serving the Nacogdoches community since 1977.
This Texan restaurant offers a wide range of menu items from yummy burgers to homemade chicken fried steak – even hand-out ribeyes.
Bucher Boy’s serves fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, chopped BBQ brisket sandwich, ribeye steak, patty melt, steak fingers, and more. They also serve gigantic burgers, which can be a challenge for those with a small belly appetizer. They open the restaurant by 10 am and close by 7 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Address: 603 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-5049+1 936-560-1137
5. Napoli’s Pizza & Restaurant
Napoli’s Italian pizza restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Nacogdoches, TX, especially if you want some good-tasting slices of pizza. It is a family-friendly Italian spot offering familiar red sauce pasta and pizza in roomy, low-key digs.
People come here to dine and enjoy themselves in the relaxed & hospitable environment of the restaurant. One perk of Napoli’s Pizza is that it offers non-pizza foods like hot subs, cold subs, chicken dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, salads, and beverages drinks.
Menu highlights include calamari, shrimp risotto, cioppino, stromboli, chicken Chesapeake, eggplant parmesan, and pizza. Carrot cake is a good dessert cake at Napoli’s. Crab and salmon rose or shrimp scampi can give anyone gastronomic satisfaction after eating it for dinner. ‘
There are happy-hour drinks and outdoor seating for all to enjoy while dining. And the pizza is seriously delicious thanks to the traditional brick oven used in its preparation. There are three popular flavors here: pepperoni pizza, steak pizza, and steakhouse pizza. In summary, the restaurant is a perfect place to eat Italian cuisine in Nacogdoches neighborhoods. They open daily at 11 am and close by 9.30 pm-10 pm.
Address: 2119 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965-3583. Phone: +1 936-560-2002
6. Java Jacks Coffee House
Java Jacks is the best coffee shop in Nacogdoches, Texas. It opened in 1996 with one goal: to create the kind of café that everyone would feel comfortable coming to in the morning, afternoon or evening.
This coffee house is never too busy, so you’ll not expect any queues each time you walk in. there is outdoor seating for those who want to be closer to nature as they slip their cup of coffee. The restaurant offers latte, 16oz hot chocolate, cappuccino, latte almond milk, cold brew mocha, and French press-lumberjack blend.
It will be wonderful if you try Java Jack whole bean coffee. It is a unique coffee blend with authentically roasted coffee beans. It always produces great-tasting coffee when prepared inside the café or at home. Java Jacks Coffee House opens daily by 6 am and closes by 7 pm. Takeouts are issued only between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm.
Address: 1122 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-4482. Phone: +1 936-560-3975
7. The Jalapeno Tree
The Jalapeno Tree is a Mexican restaurant with branches in Canton, Nacogdoches, Henderson, Tyler, and Jacksonville. The Texan branches of The Jalapeno Tree serve the best American dishes. They offer dine-in, takeaway, and delivery service options.
The Jalapeno Tree is where you should be if you’re a Mexican food lover. The restaurant is kid-friendly and receptive to groups and tourists amidst its warm and casual atmosphere. They have salsa & chips, Jalapeno, taco salad, beef tacos, pork tacos, and fajitas burritos.
They also have chilaquiles, breakfast burritos, beef burritos, and bags of chips. The Jalapeno restaurant serves one of the most delicious huevos rancheros, which we recommend trying. This restaurant opens daily by 11 am and closes by 10-11 pm.
Address: 637 N University Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-4644. Phone: +1 936-715-9133
8. CC’s Smokehouse
CC’s Smokehouse is one of east Texas’ favorite BBQ spots. The restaurant’s owner, Heath Clement, endeavors that his restaurant serves the Nacogdoches community with a great-tasting barbecue at fantastic prices. They serve customers a wide range of BBQ pit selections.
At CC’s Smokehouse, you can go for their cowboy steak, chicken fried steak, or combination meat platter, as these three options are customers’ favorite picks. You can opt for a fully loaded baked potato or decide to eat tater tots. It boils down to your personal preference.
We recommend the restaurant’s ribeye steak and onion rings. It is seriously sumptuous and has been receiving praise from regular customers who review it online. CC’s Smokehouse operates all days of the week except Sundays and Thursdays. They open by 11 am and close by 8.30 daily.
Address: 2709 Westward Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75964-1229. Phone: +1 936-462-8880
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9. Newk’s Eatery
Newk’s Eatery is a regional chain restaurant offering a menu of salads, pizzas, and sandwiches in an informal setting. The restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Nacogdoches, TX. They serve gumbo, Southern salad, little Newk’s pepperoni pizza, lobster crab bisque, and so on.
The restaurant’s salad bar is filled with a lot of salad varieties, such as cobb’s and Caesar’s salads. Customers love Nek’s own custom salad with its dressing. It is well-prepared and savory.
Newk’s Eatery is a place to enjoy a savory grilled chicken sandwich without bun sauce and vegetables. It is also a place for spicy shrimp. All these food menu offerings make Newk’s one of the top Nacogdoches restaurants. They open by 11 am and close shop by 9 pm every day.
Address: 3609 North Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75965. Phone: +1 936-559-8000
10. Cotton Patch Café
Cotton Patch Café is a family-friendly Texas-born chain that specializes in Southern cuisine. They prepare and serve hearty Southern foods from scratch. The dining experience that Cotton Patch Café gives its customers is what makes it keep returning back.
Some of Cotton Patch Café’s favorite foods include true Texas tenders, chicken fried brisket, brisket queso, tomato basil soup, and chicken salad sandwich. Smoked brisket quesadillas are a good choice to eat at this eatery.
You can view the restaurant’s full menu by checking its website or social media accounts. They open by 11 am every day and close at 9.30 pm most days.
Address: 3117 N St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961. Phone: +1 936-569-6926
11. EL Ranchero
El Ranchero is a modern Mexican restaurant specializing in homemade moles, barbeque, and cocktails from around the world. They serve the best Mexican foods that are authentic to the family’s decade-long recipe and is one of the best Nacogdoches restaurants.
They provide lamb barbacoa tacos, chips & salsa, seared scallops, charred eggplant tostada, and tuna tostadas. Rubber ducky drink is a tasty cocktail served here in addition to margaritas. Their churros with Dulce de Leche are a good recommendation.
El Ranchero’s cheery yet laid-back atmosphere is what makes it attractive. Nevertheless, it opens by 4 pm and closes at 9 pm on weekdays and 10 pm on weekends and Fridays.
Address: 123 King St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-4469. Phone: +1 936-569-2256
12. The Republic Steakhouse
The Republic Steakhouse is located inside The Fredonia Hotel. It is an upscale east Texas eatery nestled in an elegant and intimate atmosphere. The chefs and non-culinary staff pay attention to every detail to enhance the fine-dining experience.
They take pride in producing sweet seafood meals that are fresh and awesome. The bar section of the restaurant has a lot of alcoholic drinks plus soft drinks for all visitors. The views of the lake are one attraction that brings people to The Republic Steakhouse. You can afford to eat your seafood in the ample outdoor seating provisions while gazing into the waters.
Lobster rolls are best made at The Republic Steakhouse. Theirs are seriously delicious and uniquely made. Drunken clams, lobster bisque, crab cakes, filet mignon, surf & turf, and Manhattan clam chowder are available.
The restaurant is great for date nights or business dinners to impress any romantic or business partner in Nacogdoches, TX. They are open only on Thurs-Sat evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Address: 200 N Fredonia St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-5206. Phone: +1 936-564-1234
13. Peking Chinese Restaurant
Do you want to dig into Chinese eats in Nacogdoches? Then Peking Chinese Restaurant is the best food establishment to go to. It is an unfussy spot with a drive-through. It offers Chinese staples like lo mein for dine-in or takeaway.
This restaurant was established by Tom and Susan Tang in 1993 after they immigrated from Taiwan. They established Peking Chinese Restaurant to serve authentic Chinese dishes to all Asian cuisine lovers and customers alike.
They serve sesame chicken, pork belly, hot duck, Chinese dumplings, chicken fried rice, eds egg drop soup, shrimp, and sesame chicken. Peking offers sweet and sour chicken. It also serves fried won ton. The restaurant opens daily at 11 am and closes by 9.30-10 pm.
Address: 3103 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965-2686. Phone: +1 936-564-0655
14. Kinfolks
Kinfolks are one of the best restaurants in Nacogdoches, TX. It is a typical American diner located in Best Western Northpark. The place shines bright with its red neon lights, beckoning hungry passersby to come to eat their dinners here.
Kinfolks have great food, service, and atmosphere. It serves salads, coconut cake, country-fried steak, chili cheese, chicken-fried steak sandwiches, and more. They serve the best country boy platter you can’t find anywhere else in east Texas.
The restaurant’s chicken fried steak with cream and gravy is a good choice to order from the menu. You can also enjoy their yummy fried chicken sandwich. The restaurant opens by 5.45 am and closes by 8 pm daily, except on Sundays when they close by 2 pm.
Address: 4817 NW Stallings Dr, Nacogdoches, TX. Phone: +1 936-569-2422
15. 1st City Café
1st City Café is another restaurant located inside The Fredonia Hotel. It is an upscale east Texas eatery nestled in an elegant and intimate atmosphere. The chefs and non-culinary staff pay attention to every detail to enhance the fine-dining experience.
Chicken and waffles are the best picks for breakfast at 1st City Café. They serve some of the tastiest blackberry mojitos in Texas. Blueberry pancakes, avocado sandwiches, apple pie, and banana pudding are interesting items on the 1st City Café menu.
Address: 200 N Fredonia St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961-5206. Phone: +1 936-564-1234
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Plan a Trip to Nacogdoches
We have seen that Nacogdoches is one of the best towns to live in Texas, USA. It is a beloved haven for a foodie because all the restaurants offer tasty, high-quality meals.
So, considerations of moving into Nacogdoches, TX, begin once you visit the town once or twice. This is so because of its perks – safe neighborhoods, parks & historic sites, blueberry vineyards & wineries, and availability of amenities.
Start planning a visit to Nacogdoches today!